When it comes to selecting a new pet to become a member of your family you have many options to choose from. Unfortunately, many people opt to shop for new puppies at pet stores, from breeders, and even puppy mills, leaving those surrendered to shelters little hope of finding a forever home. More people give up their pets and too few people look to adopt pets from shelters and rescues. Many animals are surrendered not because they did something wrong, but because of divorce, lack of time, a move, or even a new baby. Pet over-population and the amount of animals surrendered cause staff members at shelters to have to make very difficult decisions when there is such limited space available. There are over 2.7 million dogs and cats euthanized every year because there is just too many animals given up, and very few people looking to adopt them.

Many animal rescues and shelters provide you with happy and healthy pets just waiting to be adopted. They are vaccinated, screened for illnesses, and sometimes even spayed or neutered. More often animals are even having their temperaments screened to help ensure that you get the right pet that fits with you and your family’s lifestyle.

Adoption also helps in the stop of puppy mills, a “factory-style” breeding that usually keeps animals in poor conditions with little to no medical care, while the parents of those puppies are forced to be bred over and over again never finding companionship or love of a human being. Adoption will also save you money because pets from rescues and shelters are usually vaccinnated and spayed or neutered, which makes adoption quite a bargain versus a pet store, puppy mills or breeder’s classified ads. Next time you’re looking to add a new four-legged member to your family stop by your local rescues and shelters first to help an animal find their forever home.